Emmet l



(N0 Model.) l

' Y 4El-L. SMITH.

` PLAIN-NG DEVICE. r No 29012'9 I 'Patenfd DBG@ 1.1,-18831.

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l Il INVENTQR y -A- v y WITNBssEsi ATTORNEY nA sirens mmuuwwpw, wminglm, nc.

' Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMET L. SMITH, or JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOH To CHARLES w. nicer, or SAME PLACE.

PLAITING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of,I.|etters Patent No. 290,129, dated December 11, 1883.

i Application filed September 3, 1883. (No model.)

.T all` whom, it may concern.-

Be 1t known that I, EMMET L. SMITH, of

l the city and county of Jackson, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Plaiting Device; and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention is in the nature of an irnproveinent in plaiting devices; and the invention is a plaiting device consisting of a series of plaiting-blades hinged or otherwise suitably secured to a foundation board or table, as is more particularly described'hereinafter.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l is a plan or top view of my device with fabric applied; Fig. 2, a plan view of single set of plaiting-knives; Fig, a crosssection inline .fr x, Fig. l; Fig. 4, a cross-sectionin line y y, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, fabric with conical plaits; Fig. 6, fabric with straight plaits.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures. 1 y y rIhis invention is designed to facilitate the plaiting of fabrics of various kinds, particularly such as are employed in the construction of bustles, in which the plaits gradually taper from top to bottom, thereby adding to its symmetrical appearance.

In factories where large quantities of plaited goods are manufactured, without some special device it would be impossible to plait the goods uniformly or quickly. Therefore to arrive at this result I secure to the top of atable or foundation-board, A, by hinged joints or other suitable means, a series, B, and a series, C, of metal blades D. These blades' are preferably made from thin steel, but may be of other material, and they are secured to the foundation-board A, so that each blade ofthe series will overlap, to some extent. the blade next beneath it, and each blade is, by a hinge, a, or by some other yielding `joint, enabled to turn back from the foundation-board A, and again brought to its position on the surface of the board. The numbers of these plaitingblades in the series will be regulated by the numberwof plaits that it is designed to make pressed with ahot iron.

in the fabric, and the arrangement of the `blades in relation to each other and to each of the series will be governed by the Shape it is intended these plaits shall assume. rIo that end the blades may be arranged to incline or otherwise.

In the drawingsthe blades are represented in the position to produce tapering plaits.

Now, when my device is substantially in this Way constructed, it is operated by turning all of the several plaiting-blades D back from the foundation-board A, as shown. The fab-` ric to be plaited is next laid on the surface of the board A, and the iirst blade, b, of the series is brought down upon the fabric, as shown in Fig. 1. By hand the fabric is then folded over this rst blade. A second blade, c, is next brought down, and the fabric folded in a reverse direction over this second blade. The third blade is then brought down, the fabric folded in a direction reverse to the lastnamed fold, and so on until each blade'of the entire series has been brought onto the fabric, the fabric being Y folded alternately right and left over the several blades, each forming a plait. The blades of thenext series are in like manner brought down and the fabric foldedto form the plaits of the second series. The folds may, if desired, when all are completed, be

When the plaits are completed, the fabric Iis withdrawn from beneath the blades and the operation finished.

By placing the blades in groups, as shown in, the drawings, the center plait, E, or the plait betweenthc two groups, may be broader than the other plaits, producing thereby a pleasing effect.

As is obvious, instead of arranging the blades in two or more groups. they may be arranged in a single group, and in that way produce plaits of equal size and uniformity throughout;"" or the blades may be arranged in several groups, so as to form between each group of blades a plait of varying size.

Having now described vmy invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A device for plaiting fabrics, consisting of aseries of blades secured to a suitable foun- (lation by hinges or lexible joints, the several. blades overlying each other to Sonie extent,

arranged in two or more separate groups, as

substantially as shown and describedu and for the purpose described.

2. In a device for plait'ing fabrics a series v EMMET L' SMIFH 5 of blades secured t0 a suitable foundation by TWitnesses:

hinges or flexible joints, the several blades I WV. J. REYNOLDS,

T. XV. CHAPIN.

overlapping each other to some extent and 

